Comatose Feeling

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Trying to get through the day wasn't a problem to Alena. She'd lived with this routine long enough to know the troubles it could bring on. She wasn't prepared.

Who would be?

Who could be?

No one could.

When Alena left school that day, she wasn't ready for everything to change. Or at the very least, be different than the routine she had set for her everyday life. Like routine, she started walking the three streets it took to get home from school. Like routine, she let her thoughts wander.

But unlike routine, she wasn't expecting him to be there walking his own way home. She was becoming relentless, she knew. The new boy didn't have any idea what hit him. Well, that was until Alena realized she didn't have any idea what would hit her.

Like the day before, she noticed the blonde-haired boy walking down the same road she lived on. Like the day before, she thought, No one new had moved here.

But unlike the day before, he was facing the way she was walking.

He just stood there, looking at the sidewalk as if his life-line depended on it.

Maybe it did.

So, when Alena shouted for him, in hopes of losing a bit of the routine she was so fond of, she wasn't expecting his bewildered expression. Him to gape at her, as if he'd never been seen before. Because no one can expect that.

Now standing in front of him, a bright smile on her face, looking for friendship, he just kept looking at her. "Did you hear me?"

"E-Excuse me?" And for the first time she heard his voice. Masculinity, deep with questioning.

"I said 'Did you move here recently?'" Because of course that was the best thing she could come up with. Making friends wasn't easy for her, when she was the only one interested in books, because, not everything was about routine.

"You can...." His sea-blue eyes couldn't look away from her. How could they, when he wasn't even sure how to ask. All this time, and she'd been the first. He took a second to get a good look at the girl whose life was about to change. Her black hair hung low, pale skin, and eyes... The mix of colors stared right at him. He could have sworn his heart was beating erratically, scared about the day's new outcome. Even he didn't know this could happen.

But instead of stating the obvious, because here she was, and there wasn't a point asking anymore, he just stated his new revelation. Her smile was so convincing, so eager to please. She didn't know. He wished he could have floated away. Pretend she wasn't looking at him with concern now, possibly wondering if something was wrong with the boy who just kept gulping. Because yes, that's exactly what Alena was thinking.

"You can..." And once again, he stopped, needing to take a moment to breathe. How could he fake this? He couldn't. He remembered her face, sitting next to him in that dreadful class he only sat in out of curiosity. She'd shown no signs before, but that didn't mean she hadn't.

"You can see me." He laid it out there, no questions.

Alena just smiled, her eyebrow raising up a bit in question, but understanding that the boy must not have wanted the attention. "Of course I can silly." She held out her left hand, gripping the strap of her bookbag with the other. "Alena Taylor." She introduced herself stealthily, in hopes of getting the awkward nature of the boy to loosen, because she knew, she needed to loosen up a bit herself.